Patrick Boyle didn’t hesitate to act when he noticed Marjorie Simington was choking.

“I looked up at Marjorie and saw she was in trouble and really panicking. I don’t know what it was, but I instantly reacted,” said Boyle, recalling the events of April 19. “My instant reaction was to help and try to make things better … I didn’t even know Marjorie.”

Boyle and fellow Moose Jaw resident Bill Fraser received a Rescuer Award from the Canadian Red Cross at a ceremony at Timothy Eaton Gardens on Tuesday.

“I’m absolutely delighted that Patrick had taken the Red Cross training. My other colleague who was having lunch with us recognized what was happening, but froze,” said Simington, also a Moose Jaw reisdent.

“Patrick just jumped to it and he said his (First Aid) training just came right back to him. It was pretty scary … Mainly what was running through my mind was, ‘I can’t get air in or out’ and I knew immediately that something was stuck in my throat.”